Game-day reading on historic birthday

No one in Montreal paid much attention on Dec. 4, 1909 when the Canadiens emerged from the womb, a franchise granted in the National Hockey Association for $1,000 – plus a $5,000 bank deposit to guarantee players’ salaries.

A few more people are watching today as the Habs turn 100, the Boston Bruins in town with the Canadiens having delivered two periods of dismal hockey last night in Buffalo, then a half-decent third in a 6-2 losing effort.

Fans will be talking all day, and for a day or two afterward, about tonight’s Centennial Game. Safe to say the players and management, riding a four-game losing streak, feel their collars a wee bit tight to deliver something special on the ice, following a protracted pregame tribute to a century of hockey.

There are many YouTube video tributes to the Habs. Do not miss this one. It’s fabulous.

Habs Inside/Out readers are among those to contribute to today’s essential reading. Visit the Canadiens’ official site, where you’ll find a wealth of reading. Follow that with a visit to the links listed below; we’ll update the list through the day: